GTRI Counters Trump's 'Tariff King' Remark on India's Import Duties

Former US President Donald Trump called India an 'abuser' of import tariffs, drawing criticism from think tank GTRI. GTRI argued that the US also imposes high tariffs on specific goods, similar to many other countries. India's average tariffs are high but comparable to major economies. GTRI stressed the need for a balanced view of India's trade policies.

Former US President Donald Trump's recent statement calling India an 'abuser' of import tariffs has come under fire from think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI). The organization pointed out that many nations, including the US, protect their domestic industries by imposing high customs duties on specific products.

According to WTO's World Tariff Profiles 2023, the US imposes high duties on items such as dairy products, fruits and vegetables, and various other categories. These figures highlight that the US also safeguards certain sectors of its economy through significant tariffs, GTRI noted in its report.

GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava argued that India's tariff practices are often misrepresented. While India does have high tariffs on select goods, its average tariff rate is 17%, comparable to other major economies like South Korea and China. Srivastava emphasized that both countries protect domestic industries with similar measures and accused Trump of selectively singling out India's highest tariffs without considering its overall trade policy.

(With inputs from agencies.)